Peggy's Panforte - A Winter Treat

Another of Peg's originals...

Peter and I had our first taste of panforte (literally "strong bread") imported from Italy early in our marriage - he was smitten. I continued to buy them on occasion, but always found them too hard and I was not a fan of the candied citron that seemed to be a main ingredient. I found a recipe in Carol Field's book, The Italian Baker, but it was too sweet and not nutty enough for me. It also contained the candied citron which I had no intention of using. So I've since come up with a recipe that most everybody seems to enjoy, including me. It is certainly not traditional, but is very good never-the-less. It is labor intensive, primarily because I candy the orange peel that I use (see an earlier post). I have not found a candied orange peel that I like enough to pay the  high price for. And I decided that if I am going to go to all the trouble to make this dessert, I want it to be good. This recipe makes enough to share or give as gifts (it's a traditional Christmas treat in Siena), or store away. It never lasts that long in our house, but since the Crusaders took it along  on their "pilgrimages" as a long lasting and energy-boosting food, I assume it has quite a long shelf life.

Peggy's Panforte

2 ½  cups toasted whole hazelnuts (remove as much skin as possible after toasting), coarsely chopped

2 ½ cups toasted whole almonds, coarsely chopped

2 ½ cups candied orange peel, coarsely chopped (see previous post for the recipe)

2 ½ cups coarsely chopped dried pineapple, dried figs, and dates (approximately 1 cup pineapple and

¾ cups each of figs and dates)

2 ½ teaspoons of lemon zest

1 ¼ cups unbleached all-purpose flour

2 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon

5/8 teaspoon ground coriander

5/8 teaspoon ground cloves

5/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

2  pinches of ground white pepper

1 cup honey

1 cup sugar

2 ½ tablespoons unsalted butter

Mix together nuts, orange peel, dried fruit, and all spices in a large bowl and set aside. Butter two 9"or four 6" spring form pans. I actually make five 6" cakes with this recipe so that they are a little thinner. Cut a piece of parchment to fit the bottom of each pan and then butter the parchment as well. Heat the honey, sugar, and butter in a heavy bottomed saucepan over medium heat stirring constantly until the syrup registers about 248 degrees. Pour the syrup into the nut and fruit mixture and stir to combine. I use a lot less of the honey/sugar mixture in my recipe so it requires a bit of muscle to get it all incorporated into the dry mixture before it becomes too stiff (Peter helps with this and get a taste or two in the process). Pile equal amounts of the mixture into each pan, dampen you fingers in  a bowl of water and press the mixture into the pans until fairly level. Bake at 300 degrees for about 30 to 40 minutes. Cool on rack, remove from pans, peel off parchment and dust with powdered sugar.